Kurwa CRUST Przeciwny Systemowi! An anthology of Polish crust (1991-2022)

I am finally back after an unusually lengthy break from the blog. Not that I was insanely busy, although I'd love to pretend to. I just needed some time for myself, not unlike a distraught parent leaving his children alone in the wood for a couple of weeks in order to sort his life out or a wrestler who gets injured after attempting an elbow drop from the third rope. I even toyed with the idea of stopping Terminal Sound Nuisance altogether and find another hobby that would bring more attention to my once ravishing greatness and undeniable charisma, like food influencer or a shark whisperer, something contemporary. I even took a pretty pricy but eventually useless selfie class in July (I was unable to pass the test though, something to do with me being the antithesis of photogenic or something). What is the relevance of running a punk blog these days beside making you feel prematurely old? Maybe the quest for relevance is itself irrelevant in this day and age when quantity largely prevails over quantity. The term "content creator" is remarkable in this sense as modern "creators" are not even able to qualify what they offer and resort to the generic and vague term "content" and as pop culture gluttons we stuff ourselves with forgettable but mildly enjoyable shit. Oh well. 

The thing is, despite investigating a number of alternative options, I could not quite figure what I could replace the blog with, which must mean that Terminal Sound Nuisance has to be kept alive. The absence of answer was the answer. And so here I am again, ready to rock (reasonably because of my bad back) and entertain the punk masses, something I was born for although my mum would disagree firmly. 

All this blabbering to say that I am back with a solid CRUST and to get things going again I have something special for you: an anthology of Polish crust. As even the least discerning readers will have noticed (they are few, I am well aware that Terminal Sound Nuisance's readership is notoriously class and well sound), I have a soft spot for Polish crust and, because the genre has never ceased to be not only popular but also strong in this country, working on retrospective compilations made a lot of sense. Fun was had.

I have already written quite extensively about crust and punk in general in Poland throughout the years and re-reading my elegant prose for egotistical inspiration made me realize how prolific, vibrant and dynamic the scene was in the 90's. Indeed, the claim that Poland was a major punk stronghold during that pivotal decade (in terms of bands but also of touring destination) is true and even a quick superficial glance at classic bands like Infekcja, Homomilitia, Sanctus Iuda or Filth of Mankind (to stick to my initial plan) can prove enough to illustrate this. If the crust genre became less popular in many parts of Europe, Polish punks faithfully, loyally kept producing quality crust bands to this day. Many of these bands' reach does not go beyond the country's borders but if you bother looking for information, instead of waiting passively for information to look for you, you will make some new friends. But since you are most certainly a lazy bum, I am more than happy to take on that role.

While selecting and compiling the songs, I wondered with a Sartre-looking expression if Polish crust could be described as its own subgenre, like the Greek or Japanese schools of crust, or if it was merely crust sung in Polish. While I would argue that its identity is not as strong and peculiar as its aforementioned two cousins, there are enough common recurring traits among all the bands to hypothesize a "Polish crust sound". First, with almost all the bands singing in Polish, the language with its sonorities, dynamic accents, its flow and pronunciation has an impact on the overall sound and gives it an aggressive edge. Second, more often than not, right from the start, Polish crust has displayed a heavy, crunchy, dark metallic influence, not in the apocalyptic sense like the Greeks (with some exceptions) but faster, thrashier and keeping a raw intensity. It should be pointed out as well that, originally and distinctly, more than in any other countries, Polish crust bands must be said to have been some of the best examples of fast and pummeling 90's eurocrust, far more Hiatus than Doom if you wish and if the genre evolved along with the rest of global crust scene (Japan being the usual exception) these are the basis and basics.

Do these can justify and potentially cement the "genrification" of Polish crust? Probably not, such elements can be found in other scenes abroad, however they still stand as meaningful, defining traits running through a large enough body of works for me to offer cohesive and coherent compilations. By no means has Polish crust been undisturbed and insensitive to the various international crust waves as the comps can attest. Some bands are more progressive, to the extent of neocrusting at times, others are heavily infused with death, black or doom metal, but the similarities are sufficiently present and relevant. I chose to leave out bands that, I felt, as good as they might be thought to be, did not totally qualify as crust although they certainly had crust elements like Silence, Deczcz or Evil or some of the faster 90's anarchopunk bands. Or as my sensei would sometimes tell me when he was teaching me the way: "it ain't crust enough my little lad". On the other hand, I did include some bands that are often seen as pertaining to the early grindcore scene, like Toxic Bonkers or Grossmember, but shared enough common points with their crusty contemporaries at some point. Subjectivity, yeah? 

I tried to be exhaustive without but I probably missed out some bands, either out of sheer forgetfulness or because they were either just too obscure or because Alzheimer arrived early at the party. In any case, you are more than welcome to mention bands that could have made it here or to point out mistakes. The more the merrier like my gran would say, although she was mostly referring to wine I guess. There are 2 compilations with 43 bands and songs in total ranging from the proto-crusty year of 1991 to our fetid modern time. Thanks to the people I borrowed (well...) the pictures from.

In bimber there is no choice    

PART ONE:

01. HOMOMILITIA "Intro + To możliwe jest tylko tutaj" from Twoje Ciało Twój Wybór Lp, 1996 (Łódź)

02. HELLISHEAVEN "Sedes sapientiae ora pro se" from S/t split Lp with CREEPIN CORRUPT, 2009 (Lublin)

03. DRIP OF LIES "Lies" from S/t demo, 2009 (Warszawa)

04. SOCIAL CRISIS "Zachowaj spokój" from S/t split Ep with WOJNA, 2018 (Biała Podlaska)

05. FUCK FINGER "Zdrajczynie" from S/t tape, 2002 (Łuków)

06. S.O. WAR "Mili chłopcy z policji" from Bullshit Propaganda tape, 1998 (recorded in 1993), (Strzelce Opolskie)

07. UNDECIDED "Pokoj W niebie jak i na ziemi" from S/t tape, 1996 (Bartoszyce)

08. PATROMONIUM DEL PUEBLO "Pliczy się tylko muzyka..." from Pustka tape, 1999 (Dąbrowa Górnicza)

09. HUFF RAID "Insect" from Euro Tour Tape, 2017 (Toruń)

10. CEASELESS DESOLATION "Jutro" from Nicość Lp, 2013 (Lublin)

11. BURN THE CROSS "Thirteen" from S/t split Ep with HOLY EXTERMINATION, 2013 (Jasło)

12. FILTH OF MANKIND "The foundation" from They've Taken Everything - A Tribute to Icons of Filth double cd compilation, 2007 (Gdańsk)

13. SORROW "Black crow" from Black Crow Lp, 2022 (Poznań)

14. MITRĘGA "Przelana czara" from Kraina Wpływów split Lp with NON PRESIDENT, 2015 (Lublin)

15. CHORYGEN "Ścierwa" from S/t Ep, 2014 (Łódź)

16. DISABLE "Wojna 1" from S/t cdr demo, 2003 (Łódź)

17. STRADOOM TERROR "Kapitalistyczni hipokryci" from Głuchy Głos Protestu?... split tape with NON TIBI SPIRO, 1996 (Rzeszów)

18. ALCHEMIK SENDIVIUS "Cholerny sen" from Przeciwko Wiwisekcji demo/live tape, 1993 (Grudziądz)

19. GROSSMEMBER "Fucking pigs" from 4-way split tape with AGATHOCLES/DISCHORD/OPC, 1997 (Warszawa)

20. MIND "Full of dark memory" from S/t split Ep with DISTRESS, 1998 (Łódź/Berlin)

21. PIEKŁO KOBIET "W Pułapce Dziedzictwa" from Wyzwolenie Kobiet Wyzwoleniem Mężczyzn = Liberation Of Women, Liberation Of Men 10", 1998 (Łuków)

22. DISGUSTING LIES "Administracja" from Rich Man/Poor Man Ep, 1996 (Łódź)

PART ONE

PART TWO:

01. INFECKJA "Ziemia" from S/t Ep, 1997 (Wrocław)

02. ENOUGH! "Dlaczego" from Darkside tape, 1996 (Gdańsk)

03. CHORY "Krzyże hipokryzji" from S/t tape, 2000 (Bielsko-Biała)

04. HOLY EXTERMINATION "They need blood" from S/t split Ep with BURN THE CROSS, 2013 (Nowy Sącz)

05. WOJNA "Stołkowe kurwy" from S/t split Ep with SOCIAL CRISIS, 2017 (Poznań)

06. TOXIC BONKERS "Kłamstwa w imię Boga" from S/t demo tape, 1994 (Łódź)

07. HOSTILITY "Tak bardzo sie boisz" from ...I Niech Jeden Strzał... tape, 1995 (Białystok)

08. BISECT "Zdyscyplinowane ogniwa" from Nastepna Krwawa Interwencja tape, 1995 (Radom)

09. SILNA WOLA "Anarchistyczny Czarny Krzyż" from Zero Akceptacji Dla Państwa Chiny tape, 1997 (Lebork)

10. TRÜD "Samogwałt" from Wszechświat B tape, 2016 (Torun)

11. VICTIM OF TRUTH "Więcej" from S/t cdr demo, 2010 (Biała Podlaska)

12. DEATH CRUSADE "W zamian" from Rakieta//Bomba Lp, 2017 (Gdańsk)

13. MENTAL ABERRATION "Cywilizacja" from Okrutna Rzeczywistość tape, 1991 (Gdańsk)

14. RZEŹNIA "Machina spoleczna" from Żreć tape, 1996 (Opole)

15. NON TIBI SPIRO "666" from Głuchy Głos Protestu?... split tape with STRADOOM TERROR, 1996 (Rzeszów)

16. MONOTEIZM CO-EXISTENCE "A homo sapie" from Patrz I Odczuj! tape, 1998 (Kolno)

17. SANCTUS IUDA "Prawdziwe Oblicze Kapitalizmu" from Rząd-Korporacje-Wy/Zysk tape, 1995 (Białystok)

18. NON PRESIDENT "Aborcja" from S/t split Lp with HUFF RAID, 2018 (Wojcieszów)

19. SCUMSTADT "Ścierwogród" from S/t cd, 2018 (Łódź)

20. LOST "Jak długo jeszcze" from Strach Lp, 2003 (Łódź)

21. MONEY DRUG "Przymus Państwa from S/t split Ep with WIND OF PAIN, 1995 (Gdańsk)

PART TWO

The Stench of the Millennium: at the Core of 00's Crust

Hallo there, how is crust?

It took me fucking hours but here it finally is: my 00's crust compilations. I suppose it does not come as a big surprise since the 90's got the same treatment and, after all, it's my job to keep crust punk elite (I have been known as the Fat Mike of crust in some quarters, although I would like to point out that I am much slimmer and have better tastes in music). 

 

You know the drill by now as far as Terminal Sound Nuisance's homemade compilations go but, because I care about newcomers to this blog, I am going to provide some sort of guide to my compiling genius. This time around my focus was on 00's crust music from an international perspective and as you can expect it was a monstrous undertaking. If I have often referred to the 90's as the preeminent crust decade because the genre exploded during that period, there were probably more crust bands - in the broadest sense of the term - in the decade that followed. This can be explained by the growing ramifications of the genre with the strengthening and solidification of subgenres (like stenchcore and crasher crust) combined with the fissiparous creation of new subdivisions (like neocrust or blackened crust), both phenomenon strongly influenced by new punk trends. Logical developments I suppose. 

The selection is, as usual, subjective and reflects my definition of crust music (aka the official party line). Matters of space, time and personal taste led me to exclude so-called the neocrust bands (or melodic crust or epicrust or tragicrust whatever) from the compilations. Boundaries are often difficult to draw but, when I felt a crucial line was crossed, when bands transgressed too radically crust's immemorial unwritten laws (meaning the 80's), I decided to leave them out. This said, I would be interested - though not exactly glad - to listen to a "best of 00's neocrust" selection so if you are brave enough to take on the challenge you know what to do. This said, you will find a couple of bands influenced by His Hero Is Gone on the compilations but that were still infected enough with the crust virus. Similarly, crusty bands that sounded too close to death-metal or thrash-metal did not pass, not because I dislike them but because I did not see myself working on a fourth volume. Basically I gave Stagnation a pass because I wanted a all out Bolt Thrower-type band but War Master did not make it pretty much because they all had long hair.  

To think about music in terms of decades may not be the most relevant method. Indeed, the early 00's saw the last valorous efforts of classic 90's crust bands like Homomilitia, Axiom or Policebastard while a brand new generation of crust bands - Last Legion Alive, Cancer Spreading or Contagium - was only emerging by the end of it and such crusty congregations went on to achieve legitimate expectations in the 2010's. Iconic crust immortals Warcollapse, Doom, Misery and Extinction of Mankind kept delivering the goods at their own pace, unhindered by the passing of time, and of course many great bands lived and died during the decade, soap-dodging fragile transient angels like After the Bombs, Stormcrow or Lost. As a result, bands from different waves and from both ends of the decade coexist in the compilations and I will admit that anthologies using more precise and narrower selection methods focused on stylistic content rather than chronology would perhaps have been more relevant, but then the comprehensive and thorough blog reviews deal with this more cerebral side of things. Let's just see these compilations as a general look at the different styles and waves of crust bands that evolved in the 00's and, well, as hopefully fun listens.

 

I had chosen to divide my compilations about 90's crust in terms of style and pace. Two volumes dealt with metallic stench-y crust bands while the third one was all about cavemen crustcore. For the 00's I decided to apply a cross-disciplinary approach, a deceptively fancy term which sonically translates as a massive, primitive but differently-paced brawl between the various crust schools, united in their intent to provide a seriously angry bollocking to the listener while also showing their belief in the coming apocalypse. You will find the obvious stenchcore revival heavyweights (the most significant event of the decade), Japanese crasher crust, metallic eurocrust, epic Greek crust, grinding crustcore, cavemen crust, some more progressive crust acts and even a couple of bands toying with "neocrust" influences. The scope is more international than on my previous efforts and, although 00's crust has often been described as redundant, you will realize that, when one - in a heroic effort - actually dares to dive into the depths of the dark abyss of crust music, one can find little-known gems. Therefore, crust stalwarts such as Hellshock, Dystopia or Effigy rub shoulders with the very obscure and rather sloppy Esporrro, Relics of Future or Axebastard (the kind of bands you would only know if you actually played in them if you know what I mean). This was an important point of the compiling process as I intended to show that DIY crust was not just about tight, proficient and well-recorded 00's North American bands (that would take whole compilations in itself) and that it also welcomed rough, messy, puerile and savage bearlike noizy bollocks from the periphery (if you so happen to be a scholar, you might say it is akin to a decentering of the enunciative subject but that would make you sound like a massive twat). Also, I left out many Japanese crust bands because of I already tackled their 00's wave thoroughly last year. 

In the end, the inclusion of Crow in those new compilations might be the most surprising of all, especially since I didn't invite them to the aforementioned Japanese feast. Of course Crow were never an actual crust band. Still, while it did not seem to make sense to add a Crow song to the 00's Japanese crust selection, it did feel necessary to pick an extract from Bloody Tears for inclusion on the global one. Perhaps because this album makes more sense as a 00's crust work than one abiding by the rule of Japanese crust. I don't lose sleep over it but I did think hard about the issue which, if anything, proves that the lockdown really has to end quickly.  

I ripped as many songs as possible from my record collection and tried to find decent music files for the rest but sound quality - not to mention musicianship - does vary from a song to the other. Still I feel it is the best I could do given what I had to work with and the time and effort it took to see that through. There you go then, enjoy those three compilations and feel free to comment and point out bands I might have forgotten or you consider should have been included. 

But no more tergiversating. Let's bloody 'ave it!

Part one:

01. Effigy « Stark moon », from From Hell Ep, 2003 (Japan)
02. Stormcrow « Enslaved in darkness », from Enslaved in Darkness Lp, 2005 (U$A)
03. Infekcja « Stupor », from Przegrani Lp, 2003 (Poland)
04. Raw Noise « Pain and gain », from Scum Will Rise to the Top Ep, 2009 (England)
05. Αιώνιο Σκότος « Κραυγές Αγωνίας », from Σ Ένα Θρόνο Προπαγάνδας cdr, 2005 (Greece)
06. Berserk « Eclissi », from Apocalypse demo cdr, 2006 (Italy)
07. Hangover Overdose « Ainut kristitty », from S/t split cdr with Noittus, 2007 (Finland)
08. Dažd « Императив Последњег Доба », from S/t Lp, 2009 (Serbia)
09. Sharpeville « The wound aren’t going to heal », from At the Late Hours Before the Dawning of our Abundance Lp, 2000 (Finland)
10. Axiom « This isn’t life », from Apathy and Privilege Lp, 2000 (U$A)
11. Bio Crisis « Perdido en la mentira », from S/t split Ep with Slaktattack, 2009 (Mexico)
12. Dirty Power Game « Ethnic war », from Figli Della Vostra Catastrofe cd, 2004 (Italy)
13. Sickness « GxC party », from S/t Ep, 2000 (France)
14. Extinction of Mankind « Man’s last breath », from Northern Scum Lp, 2007 (England)
15. Χειμερία Νάρκη « Χειμερία Νάρκη », from Στη Σιωπή Της Αιώνιας Θλίψης Lp, 2003 (Greece)
16. S.O.L. « Game over », from S/t split Lp with Pack, 2004 (Germany)
17. Deceiving Society « Achieve », from Detonation Cruster cd, 2009 (recorded in 2001) (Japan)
18. Dread 101 « Ústa Plná Krve », from S/t split Lp with Social Insecurity, 2002 (Czech)
19. After the Massacre « A future discarded », from A Future Discarded to the Bonepits cd, 2006 (England)
20. Acursed « Escape », from Livet Är Den Längsta Vägen Till Helvetet cd, 2003 (Sweden)
21. AGE « Plunderer », from Four Wings Lp, 2001 (Japan)
22. Bärrikäädi « Crust warriors », from S/t split cd with Esporrro, 2009 (Brazil)
23. Axebastard « Bastard (militaristic gear) », S/t demo cdr, 2009 (Finland)
24. Desobediencia Civil « Slave to convention (Doom cover ) », from No Hay Libertad sin Desobediencia cd, 2001 (Mexico)
25. Scorned « Never question », from S/t split Ep with Hellbound, 2000 (U$A)
26. Cancer Spreading « Marcia funebre / L'era del niente », from S/t split Lp with Disköntroll, 2009 (Italy)
27. Hellshock, « Last sunset », from S/t Ep, 2003 (U$A)
28. Contrast Attitude « You’re not free », from Sick Brain Extreme Addict Ep, 2003 (Japan)
29. Death Dust Extractor « Slave in chains », from Slay Your Masters or Slave in Chains Ep, 2008 (Japan)
30. Stagnation « Interceptor », from S/t Ep, 2008 (U$A)
31. Alehammer « Slowburn », from Mine’s a Pint of Crust 10’’, 2007 (England)
32. Another Oppressive System « Population control », from S/t split Ep with Human Waste, 2004 (U$A)
33. Deskarga Etílíka « Esta sistema não resulta », from Apunkalipse Now cd, 2003 (Portugal)
34. Disgusting Lies « Bez wyboru », from No Choice No Way / Non Cè Limite Al Peggio split Lp, 2005 (Poland)
35. Bumbklaatt « Debil o fuerte », from S/t Ep, 2003 (Mexico)
36. Man the Conveyors « Paralysis », from Cheers! Cd, 2008 (U$A)
37. Devastated Goes… « Distinction », from Devastation demo car, 2007 (Japan)
38. Detritus « Distorted sureness », from S/t Lp, 2009 (recorded in 2005) (Belgium)
39. Warprayer « The night takes the pawn », from S/t split Lp with Morne, 2009 (England)
40. Anguish « Nighted silence », from Within the Darkness Ep, 2009 (U$A)

The Stench of the Millennium (part 1) 

 

Part two:

01. Acrostix « Filth chain », from Crust Night 2002, the War Begins for Them compilation cd, 2002 (Japan)
02. Giuda « Il ritorno del terrore », from Decadenza Lp, 2008 (Italy)
03. Coaccion « Vacio », from Invertebrado cd, 2004 (Mexico)
04. Mind « Nothing », from …Your Own Business Lp, 2001 (Poland)
05. Policebastard « Sweatin’ green », from Cursed Earth Ep, 2002 (England)
06. Summon the Crows « Wind of chains », from Scavengers Feast Lp, 2006 (Norway)
07. Uncle Charles « Värdighet kostar pengar », from In Crust we Trust 10’’, 2004 (Sweden)
08. Esporrro « Extinção », from S/t split cd with Bärrikäädi, 2009 (Brazil)
09. Χημική-Επιδημία «  Πνοή Θανάτου », from Στην-Πόλη-Του-Χάους cd, 2003 (Greece)
10. Fight Back « Working class attack », from Crust is Dead compilation tape, 2001 (Croatia)
11. Agree To Differ « Void of humanity », from S/t demo tape, 2001 (?) (Japan)
12. Last Legion Alive « Tomb of dirt », from S/t demo cdr, 2009 (Belgium)
13. Skunk « Animals in pain », from S/t tape, 2008 (Canada)
14. Monuments to Ruins « Sleep rite », from Under the Guise of Progress… the Rise of Deceit Lp, 2005 (U$A)
15. Hellisheaven « Napalm parson », from S/t split Lp with Creeping Corrupt, 2009 (Poland)
16. Blowtorch Serenadę « Skull attack », from unknown recording, 2008 (?) (England)
17. Dischord « Amargo existencial », from S/t split Ep with Čad, 2002 (Brazil)
18. Disturd « Life », from Darkness…Faint Gleam… tape, 2007 (Japan)
19. Warcollapse « Defy! », from Defy! cd, 2007 (Sweden)
20. Cop On Fire « Solo », from S/t split Lp with Visions of War, 2005 (Spain)   
21. M.V.D. « Armut », from War Species Lp, 2009 (Germany)
22. Flyblown « Intimidate and the eradicate », from The Fear and the Fury Lp, 2005 (England)
23. Against-Empire « Stop the torture », from The Ones who Strike the Blows Forget… The Ones who Bear the Scars Remember Lp, 2005 (U$A)
24. Sanctum « Overthrown », from S/t split Lp with Stormcrow, 2006 (U$A)
25. Atroz Destrucción « Libro infernal », from Falsas Promesas cd, 2009 (Mexico)
26. Lost « Cykl ludzkości », from Fear-Strach Lp, 2003 (Poland)
27. Defector « Punk system destroy », from パンクシステムデストロイ(Punk System Destroy) Ep, 2003 (Japan)
28. Human Waste « Avsky », from I Skuggan Av Erat Sverige Ep, 2001 (Sweden)
29. NIS « Condannato all’estraneità », from Presagi di un’Insulsa Rovina demo cdr, 2008 (Italy)
30. After The Bombs « Black wind of fear », from Relentless Onslaught Lp, 2007 (Canada)
31. Consume « Like father like son », from S/t split Lp with Born/Dead, 2003 (U$A)
32. Zyanose « Media », from Loveless Ep, 2008 (Japan)
33. Abraham Cross « End of time »,from Tokyo Sound System 1+2=3 2xcd compilation, 2007 (Japan)
34. Intoxicate « Amen », from Toxic Years cd, 2006 (Croatia)
35. Visions of War « Nailed conscience », from S/t split Lp with Olho de Gato, 2002 (Belgium)
36. Dödsfälla « Nightmare shadow », from Death Future Lp, 2009 (U$A)
37. Filth of Mankind « Obłędna Rzeczywistość », from The Finał Chapter Lp, 2006 (recorded in 2000) (Poland)
38. T.R.I.B.E. « Rise! », from Nation, State and Liberty split cd with Ruin, 2007 (Scotland)
39. Phalanx « To tame a land », from S/t Lp, 2002 (U$A)
40. Doom « Just another day », from World of Shit Lp, 2001 (England) 

 

The Stench of the Millennium (part 2) 

 

Part three:

01. Campus Sterminii « Non c’e’ limite al peggio », from Life is a Nightmarish Struggle Lp, 2009 (Italy)
02. Limb From Limb « Relentless torment », from Death.Famine.Plague Lp, 2007 (Canada)
03. Hermit Prose « Dissolving soon », from Down Beat Sect Ep, 2006 (Japan)
04. State of Filth « Filth », from S/t split cd with Anarchy Spanky, 2003 (England)
05. Pack « Booze for future », from Booze for future Ep, 2005 (Switzerland)
06. Nulla Osta « Horizonti », from Omnia Morituri Sumus split Ep with Campus Sterminii, 2007 (Croatia)
07. Los Rezios « Ellos nos odian », from Destroy the Guetto…!!! Split Ep with Battle of Disarm, 2007 (Peru)
08. Hellstorm « Going to an end », from S/t one-sided Lp, 2010 (recorded in 2009) (Greece)
09. Battle of Disarm « Liberate Earth », from Destroy the Guetto…!!! Split Ep with Los Rezios, 2007 (Japan)
10. System Shit « Lost control », from S/t split Ep with Bloody Phoenix, 2006 (Canada)
11. Drunkard « What about », from S/t split Ep with Cornucopia, 2000 (Australia)
12. Dystopia « My meds aren’t working », from S/t Lp, 2008 (U$A)
13. Crow « 絶叫 », from Bloody Tears Lp, 2006 (Japan)
14. Roxor « Sluby », from S/t tape, 2008 (Slovakia)
15. Svart Aggression « När Världen Sakta Ruttnar Bort », from Tänk Själv Ep, 2006 (Sweden)
16. Gurkha « The weight », from R’n’r Engine / Drinking From the Skulls of Dead Gods split cd, 2006 (England)
17. Massakro « Infanticidio », from S/t cd, 2003 (Mexico)
18. Minus « Extinct population », from Singapore Punk Holocaust compilation cd, 2007 (Singapore)
19. Hellbound « Negative outlook », from S/t split cd with Despite, 2002 (Canada)
20. Affect « Proof of life », from Darkness Silence cdr, 2004 (Japan)
21. React « His children play with knives », from Deus Ex Machina cd, 2000 (U$A)
22. Relics of Future « Dark age », from S/t demo cdr, 2008 (Germany)
23. Proof of Existence « Religious terror », from Scriptural Disaster Lp, 2003 (U$A)
24. Mass Mierda « Que es lo que esperabais », from El Olor a Extinción cd, 2005 (Spain)
25. Kontrovers « Livlös », from S/t cd, 2002 (Sweden)
26. Massgrave « Corruption of innocence », from S/t split Lp with Stormcrow, 2008 (Canada)
27. Misery « Fine day », from S/t split cd with Path of Destruction, 2007 (U$A)
28. Disdomestic Violence « War crimes », from Tokyo Sound System 1+2=3 2xcd compilation, 2007 (Japan)
29. Behind Enemy Lines « Army of god », from The Global Cannibal cd, 2003 (U$A)
30. Nuclear Death Terror « In the shadow of the gallows », from S/t Lp, 2006 (Denmark)
31. Mass Genocide Process « Inner circle of fear », from S/t split Lp with Visions of War, 2005 (Czech)
32. Revölt « Conquest or liberation », from Gate of Holocaust Lp, 2007 (Japan)
33. Krush « Zero tolerance », from What is Wrong with this Picture? Split Ep with Gritos de Alerta, 2004 (Netherlands)
34. Horror Humano « Horro humano », from S/t cd, 2008 (Argentina)
35. Reduction « Social disorder », from Social Disorder Ep, 2002 (Japan)
36. Instinct of Survival « Winter in my mind », from Winter in my Mind Ep, 2006 (Germany)
37. Contagium « Cold mind », from S/t Ep, 2009 (Canada)
38. Homomiltia « Pomysl O Tym », from S/t Lp, 2020 (recorded in 2000) (Poland)
39. Zoe «  Be celled and be chain of master », from The Last Axe Beat Lp, 2004 (Japan)
40. Morne « Twilight burns », from Demo 2008 Lp, 2009 (U$A) 

 

The Stench of the Millennium (part 3) 

 

  
 
        

Distorted Hope and Cruster Rags: the Rise of Japanese Crust (1989/2019)

First, I wish to reassure my numerous faithful readers that their beloved leader and torchbearer of good taste in punk - if you need the vulgate I am referring to myself - is in rather good health and has been spared, so far, by that nasty virus roaming the streets and looking for an easy, and preferably weak prey to victimize, not unlike the "apolitical" skinheads of my youth who relished beating up teenagers who wore patches of Crass they deemed deeply offensive to their identity and anti-hippie religion. Those were the days. But anyway, I am sure that all my protégés will be relieved to know that not only do I stand uncontaminated but also that the Terminal Sound Nuisance staff has not been indulging in unproductive slothfulness in the past weeks. Indeed, their worrying natural tendency towards slacking, whenever it raised its ugly head, was harshly punished as I forced them to choose between listening to a 90's shoegaze mixtape or the whip (and they generally picked the latter as any sane person would). They were thus both incentivised and desensitised to work hard and provide their honourable sensei with the ground materials needed to complete his oeuvre, one that would, beyond dispute, replenish our mental energies and restore balance to the galaxy: three compilations of Japanese crust music covering thirty years of crasher madness, noiz addiction, apocalyptic stench and dove logos.  

Instead of engaging in pointlessly dull tasks like taking some fresh air or writing a lockdown diary showcasing the void at the centre of one's life, I decided to dive headfirst in the ruthless world of Japanese crust in order to extract its essence, its core, find meaningful ways to highlight it and create comprehensive but still palatable entries into the Japanese crust modes of expression. To be honest, it was no mean feat, and I am not just saying that to make myself look like an ideal of perseverance, it was a massive endeavour as I had to cut through hundreds of recordings spanning three decades to find songs that fitted my initial postulate. Since, of course, before I send the troops deep into Japanese crust territory, I had to think about what it was I was actually digging for. Doom-like cavemen crust? Epic Antisect-ish metallic crust? So-called Osaka-flavoured crasher crust? Or the specifically Japanese "crustifying" take on Swedish hardcore? Although an educated ear can always spot the Japanese crust bands, they nevertheless display a rather wide variety in terms of speed, mood and intent. What unite those bands, however different they might objectively sound, lie in the very articulate referentiality, the level of fervid intensity and the common hyperbolic tension that permeate the music. I have pondered about the identity and guises of Japanese crust in the past on several occasions for the blog, most notably in the series Japanese Crust vs the World and Noize Not Music is a Fine Art so I point you in these directions if you need more background information about and examples of Japanese crust's referentiality and thunderous vibe. 

Because crust has been a genre capable of maintaining a high level of popularity and quality in Japan to this day, a single compilation would have fallen short of illustrating the density of bands and the different evolutions that crust initiated in a country where punk, in all its manifestations, is and sounds very special. In the end, I settled for three compilations, one for each decade. I am aware that this is not without its shortcomings. Some bands have been going for more than a decade - indeed the immortal LIFE could have been included on any of the three volumes - while others basically sit between two decades. On the other hand, many of the bands appearing on the first compilation, about the 90's, can without a doubt be considered as characteristically "90's crust bands" while many of the more contemporary bands have that typical overdistorted sound that is rather common these days and will, I am sure, be known as a typical "2010's sound" in the future. So while it might not be ideal, I still feel this is the most relevant means of classification available to me. 

Another possible point of contention is, obviously, the selections themselves. As you can see, some bands that technically do not play crust music made the cut. In other terms, there are NON CRUST bands on CRUST compilations. Coming from someone who has always been despotically strict where crust boundaries were concerned, who never missed an opportunity to disparage mediocre crusty posers and who turned Terminal Sound Nuisance into the respectable establishment for elite level crust punx it is known for today, rather like a kosher tag but for the crust cult, the admission of non-crust music into a self-proclaimed crust compilation can be seen as somewhat problematic, disharmonious, if not blasphemous. But then, as cooler prevailing heads would offer, one also has to consider the aesthetics of the bands concerned. Although I am well aware that bands like Frigöra or Isterismo did not abide by the crust rules of music, they used a lot of crust references in their artworks or other paratextual elements so their presence does make sense in the broader context of such selections. Similarly, a band like Framtid never clamoured to play crust music as their obsession revolves mostly around the Swedish hardcore but their unabashed love for the raw mangel sound is precisely shared by many original crust groups so that in the end they are still in the vicinity and can therefore be invited to the party. The pure d-beat bands however were not included since the worshipping of Discharge belongs to a different, though related, genre.

I did my best to be exhaustive and relevant but unfortunately, and contrary to appearances and in spite of my resolve, I am not quite omniscient and I may have omitted some bands that I am either unaware of or deemed too far from the basis of reasoning I subjectively postulated. I wish I could have included cavemen crust acts like Indistinct Unrest, Crusthead Humanerror (yes, that is their name!) or A.K. but the songs were barely audible and unfit for human consumption, though if you focus long and hard, you can make out some tasteful grizzly shouts. Too bad. As for Condoom, I have sadly never got to listen to them but my heart, along with some obscure internet nerds, suggest that they too would have a rightful place in such compilations. What you do get in the end are three compilations that are about 70 or 80 minute long, with 102 bands, and as many songs, in total. As usual, my masterful compiling technique allowed me to equalize the songs like a boss for the most part and you will concur that listening to hours and hours of harsh distorted punk is not always the most pleasant of tasks, though it is clearly one worthy of the Crust Medal of Merit. 

Finally, I hope you enjoy the compilations. They were, as usual, made out of love, and you should enjoy, immoderately and irresponsibly, the pummeling walls of distorted aggression and apocalyptic despair that make up this vernacular crust genre. For a long time, I was rather suspicious of, if not a little antagonistic to, Japanese crust. Of course, as any self-respecting punk with unflinchingly good tastes, I loved the metallic variety of the Japanese wave and praised bands like SDS, Effigy or AGE, but found much of the Japanese crust bands too redundant and too prone to imitativeness. With time, I learnt to appreciate the peculiar art of emulation and referential aesthetics so characteristic of Japanese crust (being a massive sucker for Antisect, early Doom, Sore Throat and the Bristol noiz helped too) and I have grown to become a genuine lover of their local adaptation of this multifaceted genre that has tragically vanished in many places during the past decade but that punx keep alive and well over there. And this commanding loyalty is something I greatly admire. Up the crust.

Below are the tracklists. I am currently uploading the fuckers onto youtube but my computer is old so it takes forever.

1989/1999:

1. AGE “Exploding insanity”, Exploding Insanity mini Lp, 1999 (Niigata)
2. LIFE “Eco system”, The World Lies Across Them Lp, 1999 (Tokyo)
3. Truth of Arize “The day after”, S/t demo tape, 1998 (Kobe)
4. Crocodileskink “Discrimination”, S/t split Ep with Força Macabra, 1997 (Tokyo)
5. Victims of Greed “Mouth head”, No Hesitation to Resist compilation 10'', 1998 (Osaka)
6. Warcry “Hope for a change”, Keep Drinking Attitude demo tape, 1993 (Osaka)
7. Discord “Animal rights”, S/t demo tape, 1998 (?) (Tokyo)
8. Ability “System”, S/t demo tape, 1998 (Mie)
9. Socialcrime “Manzokusuruna”, Protest Noise Ep, 1998 (?) (Tokyo)
10. Battle of Disarm “Human disaster”, 反戦-反動物実験 - Join no army, police and politician split Lp with Brainstorm, 1993 (Tokyo)
11. Despair “The free world”, Final Noise Attack compilation Ep, 1994 (Osaka)
12. Golem “Mid”, Sadness demo tape, 1999 (Tokyo)
13. C.F.D.L. “Selfish shit”, Atrocity Exhibition 12'' Ep, 2002/1990 (Aichi)
14. Mindsuck “Blind and dominion”, Natural Crust & Punk Force compilation Ep, 1996 (Nagoya)
15. Lasting Noise Attack “Prejudice”, 3 Songs demo tape, 1998 (?)
16. Crusade “Dishonest the world”, No Trust demo tape, 1992 (Osaka)
17. Mental Disease “Red needles”, Get the Knowledge. Free your Mind Ep, 1996 (Kariya)
18. Collapse Society “Practice?”, Tokyo Crusties Conp, compilation Ep, 1994 (Tokyo)
19. Acid “Gray Earth”, Gray Earth Lp, 1991 (Tokyo)
20. Frigöra “Religion”, S/t Ep, 1995 (Kawasaki)
21. SDS “Riding on the ghorst at the midnight”, Pain in Suffering / Future Stay in the Darkness Fog split Lp with Misery, 1991 (Gifu)
22. Unwise “Worth of existence”, Worth of Existence Lp, 1993 (Tokyo)
23. Gloom “Scum”, Recomendation of Perdition 12'' Ep, 1997 (Osaka)
24. Äpärät “Disposition”, Chaos of Destruction comilation 3x Lp, 1997 (Yokohama)
25. Condemned “Disease germ in the present day”, To All Human Error demo tape, 1994 (?) (Osaka)
26. Instinct “Ordered brains”, Massenslavement demo tape, 1997 (Nakama)
27. Abraham Cross “Course for life”, Peace can't Combine 12'' Ep, 2002/1995 (Tokyo)
28. Hakuchi “World in a mess”, Gods Disturb Ep, 1993 (Niigata)
29. Macrofarge “In the world”, S/t split flexi Ep with Euthanasia, 1989 (Tokyo)
30. Defiance “Deformed peace”, What is Crust? What is Melo-Core? Be Different Hardcore? compilation cd, 1998 (Osaka)
31. Iconoclast “After the blood shed”, Who Does the Freedom and Equality Exist For? Ep, 1994 (Kanazawa)
32. Reason Why “Contradiction”, Final Noise Attack compilation Ep, 1994 (Osaka)
33. Reality Crisis “Chain & rule...united”, Deformed Society Ep, 1999 (Nagoya)
34. Antiauthorize “System roots”, Our Wind... Ep, 1995 (Tokyo)
35. Carnage “Change”, What is Crust? What is Melo-Core? Be Different Hardcore? compilation cd, 1998 (Mie)

1989/1999

2000/2009:

1. Contrast Attitude “Judgment of the cross”, Awave! / Now the World is from CHAOS to another more CHAOS... split Lp with Acrostix, 2004 (Mie)
2. Effect “Fight for freedom”, Effective Disaster cd, 2005 (Tokyo)
3. Voĉo Protesta “Scarred”, Slave to Convention – a Tribute to Doom compilation cd, 2007 (Tokyo)
4. Revölt “Destiny of doom”, Crust Night 2002: the War Begins for Them!! compilation cd, 2002 (Kumagaya)
5. Proof of Existence “What will happen tomorrow”, Scriptural Disaster Lp, 2003 (Yokohama)
6. Calamity “Destroyed oppression”, Crust Night 2003-2004: Destroy Amm War Bastards and we Know it!!! compilation cd, 2004 (Tochigi)
7. Agree To Differ “No justice in war”, System is Maintained by Us. If we suspect it, we can Unite to Break the fuckin' System!! split 2x Ep with Change, 2002 (Hiroshima)
8. Sacrifice “Beite beatha bas”, Crust Nights 2005 compilation cd, 2005 (Sendai)
9. Arize “Destroy!”, This is Arize World demo tape, 2003 (Gifu)
10. Peaceful Collapse “麻痺”, Reality? demo cdr, 2003 (Sendai)
11. Defector “Lunatic annihilation”, (パンクシステムデストロイ) Punk System
    Destroy Ep, 2003 (Osaka)
12. Urban Head Raw “Throw it away”, End of Restraint compilation cd, 2003 (Kitakyushu)
13. Unkind “(F)”, Crustie Not Hippies Ep, 2004 (Kanagawa)
14. Kriegshög “Extinction”, S/t split Ep with Deathtribe, 2008 (Tokyo)
15. Border Line “Lost in maze”, S/t demo cdr, 2004 (?) (Fukushima)
16. Equality “Revenge is peace?”, Our Lips Say Freedom demo tape, 2002 (Aichi)
17. Affect “Darkness silence”, Darkness Silence demo cdr, 2004 (?)
18. Argue Damnation “Manifesto”, Direct Action Now Lp, 2000 (Kobe / Osaka)
19. Screen Out “Innosent victims”, Despair of Ignorant Ep, 2000 (Ibaraki)
20. Minds Continue “No more army”, S/t Ep, 2007 (Tokyo)
21. Devastated Goes “Masscommunikill”, Devastation demo cdr, 2007 (Osaka)
22. Alive “Mind”, Mie City Hardcore 2 – Howlling Noise Crusties from Gates of Hell compilation Ep, 2002 (Mie)
23. Chaos Engine “陰核”, Chaos Reigns, a “Ray” of Hope Remains Ep, 2007 (Yokohama)
24. Effigy “Mortal war”, We Knows Our Guilty / Lama on Loppumassa split Ep, 2001 (Takamatsu)
25. Disdomestic Violence “Mad economists”, S/t Ep, 2006 (Saitama)
26. Tohchika “Noise room”, Crust Night 2003-2004: Destroy All War Bastards and we Know it!!! compilation cd, 2004 (?)
27. Death Dust Extractor “Slave system”, Slay Your Masters or Slave in Chains Ep, 2008 (Tsuyama)
28. Hermit Prose “Spiral of the Earth”, Down Beats Sect Ep, 2006 (Suita)
29. Reduction “Nature screams”, Social Disorder Ep, 2002 (Osaka)
30. Zoe “Slaughter”, The Last Axe Beat Lp, 2004 (Osaka)
31. Nationstate “Japanese title”, S/t demo tape, 2005 (Osaka)
32. Answer Crying “Punk rock sucks”, Under the Authority – Endulance and Lie are your Reality? Cd, 2004 (Aichi?)
33. Deceiving Society “Nonsense battle”, Detonation Cruster 12'' Ep, 2001 (Mie)
34. Acrostix “Eternal winter”, Awave! / Now the World is from CHAOS to another more CHAOS... split Lp with Contrast Attitude, 2004 (Mie) 

2000/2009

2010/2019:

1. Avvikelsse “Relief”, S/t Ep, 2016 (Osaka)
2. Sow Threat “Filthy chain”, S/t Ep, 2014 (Okinawa)
3. Ferocious X “Värld av skit”, Värld av Skit split Ep with Sistema En Decadencia, 2019 (Osaka)
4. Ulcer “Remains”, Vandalism Lp, 2017 (Kagawa)
5. Akka “Inverse proportion”, 5 Songs Ep, 2012 (Shikoku Island)
6. Subliminal Darkness “Personal greed”, 4 Tracks demo tape, 2012 (Gifu)
7. Lastsentence “Strange fruits”, S/t demo tape, 2011 (Osaka)
8. Attack SS “Nuclear time bomb”, No Nukes Ep, 2012 (Okazaki)
9. Strange Factory “In slat”, Fukushima Nightmare Ep, 2012 (Fukushima)
10. Framtid “Nuclear power genocide”, Defeat of Civilization Lp, 2013 (Osaka)
11. Disturd “Collapse”, Dark cd, 2015 (Kobe)
12. Massgrave “Yin and yang”, You are Freaks Too... tape, 2010 (Tsuyama)
13. Isterismo “Mentire”, Hardcore Inferno compilation Lp, 2010 (Tokyo)
14. Deformation Quadric “A.B.E. Weapon”, Anger at the Social System cd, 2017 (Osaka)
15. Zyanose “Condemn racist”, Permanent Damage split Ep with Enzyme, 2019 (Osaka)
16. Absurd Society “Refusal of the change”, Absurd-Society =不条理な社会 Ep, 2013 (Sapporo)
17. Disgust “Natural born enemies”, Power Corrupts split cd with Extinction of Mankind, 2010 (Nagoya)
18. Lastly “A look at the now”, Crazy Fucked Up Deadly Local Ep, 2014 (Hida-Takayama)
19. Unarm “核心を問う", Myth and Reality 311 Lp, 2013 (Tokyo)
20. Asmodeus “闇", Life? Demo cdr, 2010 (Tokyo)
21. Scene Death Terror “?”, live in Osaka, 2016 (Osaka)
22. False Insight “Masquerade”, S/t split Ep with Asocial Terror Fabrication, 2015 (Shizuoka)
23. Unconscious Nondiscrimination “?”, live at Huck Finn, 2019 (Gifu)
24. D-Clone “Where is it”, Creation and Destroy Lp, 2012 (Nagoya)
25. Radioactive “War must disarm 2017”, 8 Track demo cdr, 2017 (Tokyo)

26. Kaltbruching Acideath “Customary slaves”, S/t split Lp with Zygome, 2019 (Tokyo)
27. Defuse “Cry of roar”, Cry of Roar Ep, 2017 (Osaka)
28. Dropend “Narcissist paranoia”, Distortion Hell Ep, 2013 (Tokyo)
29. Asocial Terror Fabrication “Soak into the soil”, S/t split Lp with Instinct of Survival, 2018 (Tokyo)
30. Zikade “Extinct conductor”, S/t split Ep with Braincëll, 2019 (Ashikaga)
31. Deformed Existence “Elitists (who spikes and vivid)”, Hate With Patriotism demo tape, 2019 (Tokyo / Niigata)
32. Zay “The question of silence”, Silence and Clamor demo cdr, 2015 (Mie)
33. Axewield “Ominous dream”, War Machine cd Ep, 2010 (Takamatsu)

2010/2019

  

Sacrifice "S/t" demo 2000's

Brace yourself, here is a demo from an obscure Japanese band. Now, if it doesn't get me hundreds of downloads by the end of the day, I don't know what will.

I have had a troubled relationship with Japanese punk for a few years now. On the one hand, I find there are many worthy bands there and indeed I have a genuine fondness for some Japanese bands (SDS and Zoe for instance). On the other hand, I have also noticed a lot of bands are hyped to death, highly revered and sought after, not on their merits but because they hail from Japan. Don't get me wrong. I highly doubt most  of these bands even realize they are being idolized. Such behaviour has more to with the geeky fanboy mentality so prevalent in some circles than with the actual quality of the music. Nonetheless, there is still this propensity to acclaim Japanese punk records (it is sadly often more about records than music at the end of the day) on the face of it. Thank fuck there is no such thing as Japanese punk cosplay.

But back to this demo. I tried to find some background information about Sacrifice but to no avail. Apparently, the demo was recorded at Otoya studio but that's pretty much it. No date either. It has to be said that most of the words in the insert are in Japanese so a lot of it is unfortunately lost on me. I initially bought this demo because the name of the band, Sacrifice, and the aesthetics of the cover drove me to think that it could be a Sacrilege-inspired band, which it isn't in the least. You always learn, don't you?

Sacrifice has this distinct Japanese punk sound that so many of us are suckers for. It is fast, energetic, the drums pummel, the guitar distorts and the bass buzzes. There are these typical rolls pioneered on that side of the world by Confuse but the pace mostly beats the D in a fast and furious fashion. It is not quite as distorsion-drenched as bands like Defector or Framtid and the vocals are not as yelled. While Sacrifice still has one foot firmly in the crasher-crust camp, a more 90's Japanese hardcore is also present, especially in the singer's flow and the overall punch of the recording. The sound is great for a demo and the lyrics are in Japanese (apart from the songs' titles, oddly enough) which is something that I appreciate in spite of the lack of translations. Judging from the artwork (there is a drawing of Bush with, hopefully, some Japanese insults over him), all the fuss is about disarmament, the disrespect of human life and the filthy power of money.

For all I know, Sacrifice could have been some sort of all-star band or on the contrary some very local band whose members vanish into punk obscurity afterwards. Any complementary information is welcome!

Sacrifice!